That means you can tap a tracked link in Safari and Clean Links can remove known tracking junk during navigation, before the destination page gets a chance to load with those parameters attached. The existing Safari extension button is still there too, so you can clean every link already embedded on the current page when you want to copy or share from it.

This is a Safari extension feature for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It works alongside Safari's built-in privacy protections, not instead of them.

What Changed

Before this release, the Clean Links Safari extension focused on manual page cleanup. You tapped the extension, pressed Clean Links, and it rewrote every link on the page in place.

That manual mode still works. The new part is automatic navigation cleanup. Clean Links now uses Safari extension rules to remove supported tracking parameters as Safari opens a URL. For common tracking parameters like utm_source, fbclid, gclid, and many platform-specific campaign IDs, the cleaner runs before the page opens.

In practical terms:

• Links you open in Safari can be cleaned earlier.
• Links already sitting on a page can still be cleaned in place.
• The extension now covers many more websites and link shorteners.
• The feature is available in Clean Links for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Why This Matters

Apple's Advanced Tracking & Fingerprinting Protection is useful, and you should keep it on. But Safari's built-in protection is based on Apple's coverage list. It does not remove every tracking parameter that sites add to URLs, and it does not replace a dedicated link cleaner for sharing, short links, QR codes, or cross-app workflows.

Clean Links goes further by covering hundreds of additional supported tracking parameters and patterns. It also handles the rest of the link-cleaning workflow outside Safari: Share Sheet, Apple Shortcuts, QR scanning, Mac clipboard cleaning, and redirect-chain cleanup when network requests are enabled.

For the full side-by-side breakdown, see Clean Links vs Safari Advanced Tracking & Fingerprinting Protection.

What Safari DNR Does Here

The new automatic cleaner uses Safari's declarativeNetRequest support, often shortened to DNR. Chrome's declarativeNetRequest docs describe the same browser-side model: an extension declares rules, and the browser can modify matching network requests without the extension intercepting and reading them. Instead of running a page script and editing links after a site loads, DNR lets Safari apply URL cleanup rules during navigation.

For Clean Links, that means supported tracking parameters can be stripped from the URL before the page opens. It is a better fit for navigation cleanup because the browser applies the rule at the right moment: while the link is being opened.

The manual extension action still has a different job. It cleans links already present on a page, which is useful when you want to copy, share, or inspect outbound links before opening them.

What About ClearURLs?

ClearURLs is the browser extension many technical users know for automatic tracking-parameter cleanup in Firefox and Chrome. As former ClearURLs users ourselves, one of the reasons why we built Clean Links in the first place was because the ClearURLs maintainers had made it clear that they have no interest in supporting Safari. Clean Links now covers the core ClearURLs-style automatic URL cleanup workflow in Safari: supported tracking parameters are stripped before the page opens. Clean Links also adds Apple-native workflows ClearURLs does not cover, including Share Sheet cleaning, Shortcuts, QR scanning, Mac clipboard cleaning, Send to Mac, and redirect-chain cleanup when network requests are enabled. Additionally, the Clean Links tracking parameter dataset is much larger and more actively maintained than that of ClearURLs.

ClearURLs is not completely inactive. Its Rules repo had a commit on 2026-03-25. But extension releases and some user-facing fixes have slowed down: the latest ClearURLs Addon release, v1.27.3, was published on 2025-02-05, and ClearURLs Rules PR #191, which adds YouTube's newer is tracking parameter, was opened on 2026-02-24 and remains unmerged as of 2026-05-08.

Today, Clean Links' automatic browser cleanup is Safari-only. That gap is one reason we are considering Clean Links ports for Firefox and Chrome.

How to Use It

Update Clean Links from the App Store, then make sure the Safari extension is enabled.

On iPhone and iPad:

1. Open Safari.
2. Tap the address bar controls, then open Manage Extensions.
3. Turn on Clean Links.

On Mac:

1. Open Safari.
2. Go to Safari >Settings >Extensions.
3. Enable Clean Links.

After that, Safari navigation cleanup runs automatically for supported tracking parameters. To clean every link already on the current page, open the Clean Links extension from Safari and press Clean Links.

For screenshots and setup details, use the Clean Links Safari extension guide.

What About Short Links?

Safari navigation cleanup and shortlink expansion solve related but different problems.

Automatic Safari cleanup removes supported tracking parameters from URLs during navigation. Shortlink expansion follows redirects from links like bit.ly, t.co, lnkd.in, and l.facebook.com so Clean Links can show the final destination and remove trackers that appear later in the redirect chain.

Redirect expansion can require network requests from your device. If you turn on Disable Network Requests, Clean Links will still strip known tracking parameters, but it will not expand short links because expansion requires visiting the redirect.

That privacy toggle applies across the app and extension. Use the default mode when you want redirect-chain cleanup, or turn on Disable Network Requests when you want strict no-network link cleaning.

FAQ

Does This Replace Safari's Built-In Protection?

No. Keep Safari's built-in protection enabled. Clean Links complements it by cleaning additional supported tracking parameters and by covering workflows Safari does not handle, like Share Sheet cleaning, QR scanning, Shortcuts, and Mac clipboard monitoring.

Does Clean Links See My Browsing History?

No. Clean Links does not log or store the links you clean or check. Automatic Safari cleanup uses local extension rules for supported parameters, and manual page cleanup runs locally when you trigger it.

Does This Work Outside Safari?

The automatic before-page-open cleanup is a Safari extension feature. Clean Links still works outside Safari through the native app, Share Sheet, Shortcuts, QR scanner, Clean Links Web, and Mac clipboard monitoring.

Where Can I Get It?

Download Clean Links free on the App Store. The Safari navigation cleaner is included on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Clean Links is now a link cleaner online. Paste a URL, strip the tracking parameters, unwrap supported short links, and copy the cleaned result from any modern browser, on any device. It is also installable as a Progressive Web App on Android, Chrome, and Edge, so once you add it to your home screen it launches like a native app.

The Request We Heard Most Often

Clean Links has been an iPhone, iPad, and Mac app since launch. That covered a lot of people. It did not cover the friend on Android, the work laptop on Windows, the family ChromeOS device, or anyone working from a Linux box.

The same message kept landing in App Store reviews, on Reddit, and in support email. Someone shares a tracker-stuffed link with a friend, and the friend has no Apple device to clean it on. Someone uses Windows all day and wants utm_source and fbclid off URLs before pasting them into Slack. Someone reaches Clean Links from a search result, on a borrowed laptop, and does not want to install anything to clean one suspicious link.

The fix had to live on the web, and it had to do the full Clean Links job, not a stripped-down web demo.

What Shipped

The new Clean Links Web tool does three things from any browser:

• Strips tracking parameters from the URL you paste, including utm_source, utm_medium, fbclid, gclid, ttclid, igshid, li_fat_id, and many more
• Unwraps supported short links and redirect wrappers like t.co, l.facebook.com, lnkd.in, newsletter click trackers, ad redirectors, and short-link services on the Clean Links allowlist
• Shows the resolved redirect chain so you can see where the link was actually going before you share it

The web cleaner is also a Progressive Web App. On Android, Chrome, and Edge, hit "Install app" in the address bar and Clean Links lives on your home screen. No App Store, no install size, no account.

A Better Link Cleaner Than linkcleaner.app

If you have reached for linkcleaner.app or another URL cleaner to scrub a link, the Clean Links web cleaner does the same job and goes one step further.

linkcleaner.app removes the visible parameters from the URL you hand it. Clean Links does that too, then resolves supported short links and redirect wrappers, cleans the final URL, and shows you the redirect chain. That second step is where most modern trackers actually live: behind t.co, l.facebook.com, lnkd.in, and newsletter click trackers, not in the URL you pasted in. The Clean Links comparison with the open-source LinkCleaner extension walks through the same difference at the rule-set level, if you want the deeper breakdown.

The browsers are the same. The form is the same. What is different is the short-link unwrapping that other web cleaners skip, and the shared rule engine that also ships inside the Clean Links Safari extension, so coverage updates reach every surface at once. On iPhone, iPad, and Mac, that same extension can strip supported tracking parameters before pages even open, which is the kind of automatic cleanup a paste-only web tool cannot match.

What Is Coming Next: Chrome and Firefox Extensions

The web cleaner is the first piece of getting Clean Links onto every device. Chrome and Firefox extensions are next.

The extensions will bring Clean Links into the browser address bar and right-click menu, so you can clean a link without leaving the page you are on. That is the same workflow the Clean Links Safari extension already provides on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Both will be free. We will announce ship dates here when builds are ready for review.

What the Apple App Still Adds

The web cleaner is for the moments when installing an app is not the right first step. The Apple app is for the rest of the time.

On iPhone, iPad, and Mac, Clean Links cleans on-device, stores no link history, and integrates with the Share Sheet, the Safari extension, Apple Shortcuts, Siri, a QR scanner that previews the real destination before you tap, and the Mac clipboard monitor. Those system hooks are why Clean Links exists as a native app, not only as a web tool.

For workflows that hand a cleaned link off from iPhone to Mac, read the Send to Mac guide. For a feature-by-feature breakdown against Apple's own iOS 26 protection, read Clean Links vs Safari Advanced Tracking & Fingerprinting Protection.

FAQ

Is the Clean Links Web Cleaner Free?

Yes. The web cleaner is free to use, and the Clean Links app is free on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. There are no accounts, subscriptions, or in-app purchases.

Does the Web Cleaner Store the URLs I Paste?

No. Clean Links does not store the full URL you paste or the cleaned URL on a server. Production analytics record coarse operational fields like the cleaned hostname and whether the URL changed, not a reusable list of links you cleaned. The optional Recently Cleaned Links list is saved locally in your browser and can be turned off with Private mode.

Does It Work on Android, Windows, ChromeOS, and Linux?

Yes. The web cleaner runs in any modern browser. On Android, Chrome, and Edge, you can also install it as a Progressive Web App from the address bar so it sits on your home screen.

Can the Web Cleaner Unwrap Every Short Link?

No. Clean Links unwraps supported short links and redirect wrappers from a closed registry of known handlers, not an open fetch-anything proxy. If Clean Links misses a tracker, use the Report missed trackers button so the rules can be updated.

Try the Link Cleaner Online

Open the Clean Links link cleaner, paste a tracked URL, and look at what comes off. On Android or desktop Chrome and Edge, install it as a web app from the address bar so the next link is one tap away.

If you are on iPhone, iPad, or Mac, install the Clean Links app when you want the same cleaning workflow inside Safari, the Share Sheet, QR scanning, Shortcuts, Siri, and your Mac clipboard.

This guide shows what the prompt means, how to allow paste for Clean Links, what to do if you already tapped Don't Allow, and how to keep clipboard-based cleaning private and under your control.

What "Paste from Other Apps" Means on iPhone

Starting in iOS 16, Apple added a separate permission for pasting from the clipboard. Apps are set to Ask by default, which means iPhone shows a prompt the first time an app tries to paste something copied in another app. Apple documents how to control app access to information in its iPhone User Guide, and the clipboard prompt is part of that same permission model.

That prompt is not a warning about Clean Links doing anything unusual. It is how iOS surfaces clipboard access. If you copied a link and then opened Clean Links to clean it, preview it, or pass it into a Shortcut, iOS may ask whether Clean Links can use that clipboard content.

If you tap Allow, Clean Links can paste copied links without asking every time. If you leave it on Ask, iPhone keeps prompting. If you tap Don't Allow, manual paste workflows stop working until you change the setting again.

How To Allow Paste For Clean Links

The fastest path is to allow the prompt when it appears:

1. Copy a link from Safari, Messages, Mail, or another app.
2. Open Clean Links.
3. Paste the link into the app.
4. When iPhone shows Paste from Other Apps, tap Allow.

That is enough on most devices.

If you already dismissed the prompt or tapped Don't Allow, change it in Settings:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Open Apps.
3. Find and tap Clean Links.
4. Tap Paste from Other Apps.
5. Choose Allow.

On some iOS versions, Apple still shows app settings directly in the main Settings list. If you do not see Apps, scroll down in Settings, tap Clean Links, then open Paste from Other Apps there.

What To Do If You Tapped "Don't Allow"

If paste stopped working, you do not need to reinstall the app.

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Apps ->Clean Links ->Paste from Other Apps.
3. Change the setting from Don't Allow or Ask to Allow.
4. Return to Clean Links and paste the link again.

If you do not see the setting yet, copy a link first, open Clean Links, and try pasting again. iOS sometimes waits until an app actually requests clipboard access before showing the control in Settings.

Why Clean Links Needs Paste Access

Clean Links uses paste access for one simple reason: you copied a link elsewhere and want to work with it here.

That includes a few common flows:

• Clean a copied URL before sharing it again
• Expand a short link to see the final destination
• Open the app, paste a link, then generate a clean QR code
• Start from a copied link and continue with Apple Shortcuts link cleaning

If you do not want to paste manually, you can often skip clipboard access entirely by using the iOS Share Sheet. Many guides on this site use the Share Sheet first because it is faster and avoids the prompt altogether.

Privacy Note: What Happens To Pasted Links

Pasted links are handled on-device. Clean Links does not log or store the links you clean or check.

Many links can be cleaned fully offline. Some short links and redirect wrappers need a direct request from your device to the destination in order to reveal the final URL. When that happens, Clean Links still does not send the link through a third-party API or through Numen's servers. The request goes from your device to the destination, and Clean Links strips tracking parameters before and after each redirect hop when possible.

If you want clipboard-based cleaning to stay fully on-device with no outbound requests at all, disable all network requests in Clean Links settings or in a Shortcut. Clean Links will still strip known tracking parameters, but it will stop following redirect chains for short links like bit.ly or t.co.

If you want more detail, the Clean Links FAQ explains how local processing and redirect resolution work.

What To Do Next

Once paste access is allowed:

• Paste a copied link into Clean Links and clean it directly
• Use the Share Sheet when another app already exposes the URL, like the flows in the Reddit link cleaner and X link cleaner guides
• Build a shortcut from the Apple Shortcuts guide if you want the clipboard flow to feel more like one tap

If you came here because iPhone kept interrupting a copy-and-paste flow, the Share Sheet is usually the cleanest fix. If you prefer opening Clean Links and pasting links yourself, set Paste from Other Apps to Allow once and you should be done.

FAQ: Allow Paste For Clean Links

Does Clean Links read my clipboard all the time? No. This setting controls whether iOS lets Clean Links paste clipboard content when you use a paste-based workflow.

Can I leave it on Ask? Yes. Clean Links still works, but iPhone may show the prompt again when you paste a copied link.

Can I use Clean Links without clipboard access? Yes. The Share Sheet, Safari extension, QR reader, and many Shortcut flows do not require manual pasting from the clipboard.

Get Clean Links

Allow paste once, then clean copied links without the repeated prompt. Download Clean Links free for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Update, May 2026: Clean Links now adds automatic Safari navigation cleanup on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The extension strips supported tracking parameters before the page opens, then still gives you the manual page-cleaning button for links already embedded on the page.

The extension works alongside, not instead of, Safari's built-in privacy features. For a full breakdown of what each covers, see Clean Links vs Safari Advanced Tracking & Fingerprinting Protection.

What the Safari Extension Does

The extension now has two link-cleaning modes in Safari:

1. Automatic navigation cleanup - supported tracking parameters are stripped as Safari navigates, before the page opens.
2. Manual page cleanup - when you activate the extension, Clean Links scans every <a> href on the current page, strips tracking parameters from each one, and replaces them in place.

The manual cleaner still shows a count of how many links were cleaned, so you know at a glance how aggressively the page was tracking outbound clicks.

Covered parameters include the full UTM family (utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_term, utm_content), as well as platform-specific click IDs like fbclid, gclid, igshid, and more. The extension also includes the Send to Mac button from Clean Links' core feature set, so you can hand off the current page to your Mac directly from the popover.

Everything runs locally. The automatic navigation cleaner uses Safari extension rules, and the manual page cleaner runs in an isolated context. See the Clean Links FAQ for details on the privacy architecture.

The extension works on both iPhone/iPad (iOS 18.0+) and Mac (macOS Sequoia+).

How to Enable on macOS

1. Open Safari.
2. From the menu bar, choose Safari >Settings.
3. Click the Extensions tab.
4. Find Clean Links in the list and check the box next to it.

Once enabled, the Clean Links icon appears in the Safari toolbar. If you don't see it, right-click the toolbar and choose Customize Toolbar to add it.

Safari may ask for permission to allow the extension to read the current page. Grant access - the extension needs to read link hrefs to clean them. All processing stays on your Mac.

How to Enable on iOS

1. Open Safari and navigate to any webpage.
2. Tap the address bar to reveal the browser chrome, then tap the aA (or puzzle-piece) icon on the left side of the address bar.
3. Tap Manage Extensions.
4. Toggle Clean Links on.

Safari on iOS may ask whether to allow the extension on this page, for one day, or always. Choose Always Allow on Every Website to use it without repeated permission prompts.

Using the Extension

On Mac

Click the Clean Links icon in the Safari toolbar. A small popover appears showing "Ready to clean links on this page." Click the green Clean Links button. Within a moment, the popover updates to show "Cleaned X links on [domain]" - where X is the number of links that had tracking parameters removed. The links on the page are now clean; if you copy or share any of them, the trackers are gone.

The popover also includes a Send to Mac button. This is useful when you're on one Mac and want to send the current page link to a different Mac - for example, one outside AirDrop range or on a separate network. Send to Mac works via iCloud sync, so it reaches Macs that are asleep or on a different Wi-Fi network.

On iPhone and iPad

Tap the aA icon in the address bar, then tap Clean Links from the extensions list. An extension sheet slides up showing two buttons: Clean Links and Send to [Device Name].

Tap Clean Links to strip tracking parameters from every link on the page. Tap Send to [Device Name] to forward the current page link to your Mac through iCloud - no AirDrop, no proximity requirement.

Send to Mac on iOS works the same way as the Mac version: links travel via iCloud sync, so they arrive even if your Mac is asleep, on a different network, or outside Bluetooth range. You can also reach multiple Macs - the button cycles through the Macs associated with your iCloud account.

Disabling Network Requests

By default, Clean Links can make direct network requests from your device to resolve short links like bit.ly and t.co. These requests use sandboxed sessions with randomized user agents and no cookies - no third-party API is involved. When the extension encounters a shortened link, it can follow the redirect chain and strip trackers from the final destination, not just the first hop.

If you want Clean Links to make zero outbound connections, turn on Disable Network Requests in the app's Settings. With this setting on:

• Automatic Safari navigation cleanup still strips supported tracking parameters using local rules.
• Tracking parameters (utm_*, fbclid, gclid, igshid, and all other known patterns) are still stripped from every link on the page.
• Short links are left in their shortened form - they won't be expanded, because expansion requires a network hop.
• The Safari extension respects this setting automatically.

You can also toggle this setting through Apple Shortcuts, which means you can build automations that switch between full redirect-following and strict no-network modes depending on context.

This setting is ideal for anyone who wants absolute certainty that no outbound connections are made, even sandboxed ones.

Which Trackers Are Removed?

The extension removes the same parameters as the rest of Clean Links. Common ones you'll see stripped:

Analytics and marketing

• utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_term, utm_content (Google Analytics / campaign tracking)

Platform click IDs

• fbclid - Facebook
• gclid - Google Ads
• igshid - Instagram
• li_ref - LinkedIn
• tt_from - TikTok

These are the parameters you'll encounter most often, but they represent a small fraction of what Clean Links covers. The app removes tracking parameters across thousands of domains, with coverage expanding each update as new patterns are identified. Parameters differ by platform, region, and campaign type - Clean Links handles that complexity so you don't have to think about it.

Download Clean Links free on the App Store and try the extension on the next page you browse. Check the "Cleaned X links" count - on most news sites, social platforms, and e-commerce pages, that number is higher than you'd expect.

For details on the May 2026 update, see Safari Link Cleaner: Clean URLs Before the Page Opens.

For more ways to automate link cleaning across your Apple devices, see the Apple Shortcuts guide.

FAQ

Does the Safari extension work in private browsing?

Yes. The extension is available in Private Browsing windows in Safari. All processing remains on-device regardless of the browsing mode.

Can I use the Clean Links extension in other browsers like Chrome and Firefox?

No - the extension is Safari-only today. We are considering Firefox and Chrome ports, especially now that Clean Links covers the core automatic URL cleanup workflow in Safari. For the background on that work, see Safari Link Cleaner: Clean URLs Before the Page Opens.

On Mac, Clean Links' Clipboard Monitoring (available from the menu bar) provides continuous, browser-agnostic link cleaning: any URL you copy gets cleaned automatically, no matter which browser or app you copied it from.

Does enabling the extension slow down page loads?

Automatic navigation cleanup runs through Safari extension rules, not injected page scripts. The manual page-cleaning action is still inactive until you click the toolbar icon on Mac or tap it from the extensions menu on iOS.

Why does Safari ask for permission to read the page?

Safari requires extensions to declare when they need access to page content. Clean Links needs to read link href attributes to clean links already embedded on the page. That page access is used by the manual cleaner when you actively trigger the extension.

Is Send to Mac the same as AirDrop?

No. Send to Mac uses iCloud sync instead of Bluetooth/Wi-Fi Direct. It works when the target Mac is asleep, on a different network, or out of AirDrop range. It also works across multiple Macs without device discovery delays.

What Is Clean Links?

Clean Links is a free iPhone, iPad, and Mac app that strips tracking junk from URLs and reveals the real destination hidden inside short links and QR codes. Everything runs on-device, so no cookies or identifiers ever leave your phone or Mac. On iPhone and iPad you also get a safe QR code scanner. On Mac, Clean Links can sit in the menu bar and watch your clipboard, cleaning links as you copy them.

Clean Links Actions Available In Apple Shortcuts

The app exposes its core powers to Shortcuts:

• Clean URL - Takes any URL and returns a tracker-free version. It also follows redirects during cleaning and removes trackers found along the way.
• Expand URL - Unwraps shortened links (Bitly, TinyURL, etc.) to the full destination, then cleans the final URL.
• Scan QR Code - Reads a QR code from an image and returns its text.
• Clean URL From QR Image - Reads a QR code from an image and returns the cleaned destination.
• Send Link To Mac - Sends a URL to your Mac for follow-up on a bigger screen.

Because these are regular Shortcuts actions, you can combine them with Safari, Messages, Notes, your password manager, and more.

Before You Start

You'll need:

• Clean Links app installed on your device
• Apple Shortcuts app
• Basic familiarity with running shortcuts

The setup takes under 2 minutes and most features work offline.

Example 1: Clean, Verify, and Open from the Share Sheet

Goal: Clean any link from the Share Sheet, open it in Safari.

For a one-tap install, you can get the completed shortcut here:

Download "Clean and Open Link" Shortcut

Want to build it yourself? Here’s how.

Step 1: Create and Configure the Shortcut

1. Open the Shortcuts app and tap the + icon.
2. Tap the downward arrow next to the name, select Details, and toggle ON the switch for "Show in Share Sheet".
3. Tap "Share Sheet Input", choose "Deselect All", and then select only "URLs". Tap "Done".

Step 2: Build the Actions

1. Add Action: Clean URL

   • Tap + Add Action and select Clean URL.
   • It will automatically use the Shortcut Input (the URL you share).

2. Add Action: Open URLs

   • Search for and select the Open URLs action.
   • This will open the Cleaned URL from the previous step.

Use it: From any app, share a link and tap the "Clean and Open Link" shortcut. It will open the tracker-free URL in Safari and show a notification comparing the original and cleaned links.

Example 2: Clean And Send To Mac

Goal: Start on iPhone, finish on Mac for reading later, without the trackers.

For a one-tap install, you can get the completed shortcut here:

Download "Clean Handoff" Shortcut

Want to build it yourself? Here’s how.

How to Create the "Clean Handoff" Shortcut

1. Open the Shortcuts App

   • Find and open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone.

2. Create a New Shortcut

   • Tap the + icon in the top-right corner to start a new shortcut.

3. Configure for Share Sheet

   • Tap the (i) info icon at the bottom of the screen.
   • Toggle on Show in Share Sheet. This is the key to making it work from Safari and other apps.
   • Tap Done to go back to the editor.

4. Add the "Clean URL" Action

   • Tap the blue Add Action button.
   • In the search bar, type Clean URL and select the action provided by the Clean Links app.
   • The action will be added, with its input automatically set to Shortcut Input.

5. Add the "Send Link to Mac" Action

   • Tap the + button below the "Clean URL" action to add the next step.
   • Search for Send Link To Mac and select the action from the Clean Links app.
   • The Device can be set to Ask Each Time (recommended) or you can choose a specific Mac from the list.

6. Finish Up

   • Tap Done in the top-right corner to save your new shortcut.

Use it: Perfect for research and shopping. Clean a link on your phone, then send it to your desktop to continue reading on a larger screen without any of the tracking parameters.

How to Use Your Shortcuts from the Share Sheet

Once you've installed either shortcut above, here's how to use them from any app:

Step 1: Find a Link You Want to Clean

You can use these shortcuts with links in:

• Safari (web pages)
• Messages (links from friends)
• Mail (links in emails)
• Twitter/X, Reddit, LinkedIn (social media posts)
• Notes, Reminders, or any app that displays links

Step 2: Open the Share Sheet

On iPhone and iPad:

1. Tap and hold the link until a menu appears
2. Tap Share from the menu

Alternative method:

• In Safari, tap the Share button (the square with an arrow pointing up) at the bottom of the screen

Step 3: Find and Run Your Shortcut

1. The Share Sheet will open showing various options
2. Scroll down past the row of app icons until you see your shortcuts
3. Look for "Clean and Open Link" or "Clean Handoff" (or whatever you named your shortcut)
4. Tap the shortcut name

Can't find your shortcut? Scroll to the end of the shortcuts row and tap Edit Actions, then make sure your shortcut is toggled ON in the Favorites section.

Step 4: Watch It Work

• Clean and Open Link: The shortcut will clean the URL and open it in Safari. You'll see a notification showing what tracking was removed.
• Clean Handoff: If you chose "Ask Each Time" for the device, pick your Mac from the list. The cleaned link will appear on your Mac instantly.

Pro Tip: Add to Action Button (iPhone 15 Pro and Later)

You can trigger your link cleaning shortcut with the Action Button:

1. Go to Settings >Action Button
2. Select Shortcut
3. Choose your "Clean and Open Link" or "Clean Handoff" shortcut
4. Now pressing and holding the Action Button will run the shortcut on whatever link you last copied

Wrap-Up

Apple Shortcuts turns Clean Links into a flexible toolkit: clean a URL, expand short links, scan QR images, or send a link to your Mac. Start with the two recipes above, then remix them to fit your flow.

Clean Links solves all of these problems with a feature that lets you send links to Mac from any Apple device with full offline support, works with any browser, and is faster and more reliable than AirDrop, Universal Clipboard, iCloud Tabs, or Safari Reading List.

The Problem with Existing Solutions

Before diving into the solution, let's look at why existing methods fall short:

AirDrop Issues

Send links to Mac with AirDrop and you'll quickly discover its limitations:

• Requires both devices to be awake and nearby
• Often fails when devices are on different networks
• Demands that both devices have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled
• Can be slow and unreliable
• Your Mac must be active to receive the link

Universal Clipboard Limitations

Share links between Apple devices using Universal Clipboard and you'll encounter:

• Works only when both devices are nearby and active
• Clipboard content expires after a short time
• No permanent record of links shared
• Frequently fails without clear error messages

iCloud Tabs Problems

When you send website links to Mac via iCloud Tabs:

• Works only in Safari, not other browsers
• Requires hunting through a long list of tabs
• Tab must stay open on source device for it to sync
• No way to send a link and close the tab immediately

Safari Reading List Drawbacks

Use Safari Reading List to share links between devices and you'll find:

• Works only in Safari
• Creates a long, unorganized list
• Requires manual checking of the Reading List
• No automatic notification when new links arrive

The Solution: Clean Links Send to Mac

Send links to Mac instantly with Clean Links from any Apple device - iPhone, iPad, or another Mac. The feature works even when your destination Mac is offline or on a different network. Links are synced via iCloud, so they appear automatically when your Mac comes online.

How It Works

1. On your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, open any link in any app
2. Tap or click the share button and select "Clean Links"
3. Choose which Mac you want to send the link to
4. The link is sent via iCloud sync to your destination Mac
5. When your Mac is online, the link opens automatically in your default browser

The entire process takes seconds, and unlike AirDrop, it works even when your Mac is asleep or on a different network.

Why Clean Links Is Better

Offline Support

Send links to Mac even when your destination Mac is offline. The link waits in iCloud sync and appears automatically when your Mac comes online. This is impossible with AirDrop or Universal Clipboard.

Any Browser Support

Share links to Mac that open in your default browser, whether that's Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Brave, or Arc. Not limited to Safari like iCloud Tabs or Reading List.

Faster Than AirDrop

Send links to Mac in seconds without the connection delays that plague AirDrop. No waiting for devices to discover each other.

Works Across Networks

Share links between devices even when they're not on the same Wi-Fi network. Perfect for sending a link from your iPhone at home to your Mac at the office, or from your MacBook to your Mac Studio.

Background Processing

Links open automatically in your browser as new tabs. You won't miss them like you would with a long Safari Reading List.

Multiple Mac Support

Send links to all your Macs at once from any device. Have a Mac at home and one at work? Send to both simultaneously from your iPhone, iPad, or another Mac.

Comparison with AirDrop

Comparison with iCloud Tabs

Comparison with Safari Reading List

Comparison with Universal Clipboard

How to Set Up Send to Mac

Requirements

To send links to Mac with Clean Links, you need:

1. Clean Links installed on your source device (iPhone, iPad, or Mac) and destination Mac
2. iCloud enabled on all devices
3. All devices signed into the same Apple account

Setup Steps

On iPhone or iPad:

1. Download Clean Links from the App Store
2. Open Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud
3. Ensure iCloud Drive is enabled
4. Open Clean Links and grant necessary permissions

On Mac (both source and destination):

1. Download Clean Links from the Mac App Store
2. Open System Settings → Apple ID → iCloud
3. Ensure iCloud Drive is enabled
4. Open Clean Links and grant necessary permissions

That's it. You're ready to send links to Mac from any device.

How to Send a Link

1. In any app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, find a link you want to send
2. Tap or click the share button
3. Select "Clean Links"
4. Choose which Mac you want to send to
5. The link is sent immediately via iCloud

When your destination Mac is online, the link will open automatically in a new browser tab.

Real-World Use Cases

Research on Mobile, Continue on Mac

Send links to Mac while researching on your commute. Find interesting articles on your iPhone or iPad, send them to your Mac, and they'll be waiting when you get to your desk.

Late-Night Reading Queue

Share links to Mac before bed. Browse on your iPhone or iPad, send links to your Mac, and they'll be ready for your morning work session.

Cross-Network Sharing

Send links to Mac even when you're at a coffee shop and your Mac is at home. The link will appear automatically when your Mac comes online. Works from iPhone, iPad, or another Mac.

Mac-to-Mac Workflows

Send links from your MacBook to your Mac Studio or iMac. Perfect for moving research from your portable device to your main workstation, or sending links from your office Mac to your home Mac.

Trigger Mac Shortcuts

Use Clean Links to trigger Mac shortcuts from any device. Send a specially crafted link that activates a Shortcut on your Mac for powerful cross-device automation.

Advanced: Trigger Mac Shortcuts from Any Device

Clean Links lets you send links that trigger shortcuts on your Mac from iPhone, iPad, or another Mac. This enables powerful cross-device workflows:

1. Create a Shortcut on your destination Mac that listens for specific link patterns
2. Send a link from any device that matches that pattern
3. The Shortcut on your Mac activates automatically
4. Build complex automation across all your Apple devices

For example, send a link from your iPhone that triggers your Mac to download a video, process it, and upload it to cloud storage - all initiated remotely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this work offline?

Yes. Send links to Mac even when your destination Mac is offline. The link is stored in iCloud sync and appears automatically when your Mac comes online.

What if I have multiple Macs?

You can choose which Mac to send to, or send to all your Macs at once. Each Mac where Clean Links is installed will appear as a destination option. You can disable receiving links in the macOS app settings if you want to exclude a specific Mac.

Does this work with all browsers?

Yes. Links open in your default browser on Mac, whether that's Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Brave, Arc, or any other browser.

Is this faster than AirDrop?

Yes. Send links to Mac in seconds without waiting for device discovery. Links are delivered via iCloud sync, which is consistently faster than AirDrop.

Can I send to a Mac on a different network?

Yes. Share links across different networks from iPhone, iPad, or another Mac. Your destination Mac just needs an internet connection to receive the link via iCloud.

Can I send links from Mac to Mac?

Yes. You can send links from any Mac to another Mac using Clean Links. Perfect for sending links from your MacBook to your Mac Studio, or from your work Mac to your home Mac.

Does this work with iPad?

Yes. You can send links from iPhone, iPad, or any Mac to your destination Mac using Clean Links.

Clean Links vs Hyperduck

Hyperduck offers similar functionality for sending links between Apple devices, but charges for it. Clean Links is completely free and includes additional features like link cleaning, QR code reading, and tracker removal that Hyperduck doesn't offer.

Privacy and Security

When you send links to Mac with Clean Links:

• All data is synced via your private iCloud account
• No third-party servers are involved
• Clean Links strips tracking parameters before sending
• Your link history is never logged or stored
• Everything is processed on-device
• Works from iPhone, iPad, or another Mac with the same privacy guarantees

Get Started

Ready to send links to Mac from any Apple device the easy way?

1. Download Clean Links for iPhone/iPad from the App Store
2. Download Clean Links for Mac from the Mac App Store
3. Sign in with the same Apple ID on all devices
4. Enable iCloud Drive on all devices
5. Start sending links instantly between devices

Clean Links is completely free with no ads, no tracking, and no subscriptions. It just works.

Conclusion

Send links to Mac from iPhone, iPad, or another Mac with offline support, any-browser compatibility, and faster delivery than AirDrop. Clean Links makes cross-device link sharing effortless across all your Apple devices.

Whether you're researching on your phone, queuing up reading material from your iPad, moving links from your MacBook to your Mac Studio, or building complex cross-device automations with Shortcuts, Clean Links is the fastest and most reliable way to share links to Mac.

Download Clean Links today and experience seamless link sharing across all your Apple devices.

To compare them fairly, we read Link Cleaner's live site and its cleaning logic in js/shared.js, then walked through Clean Links Web and the Apple Shortcuts guide. The short answer: if you want open-source bulk cleaning in a browser tab, pick Link Cleaner. If you want shortlink expansion, redirect-chain cleaning, a Safari extension, and an Apple-first workflow, pick Clean Links.

Key Takeaways

• Link Cleaner is a strong open-source web app with bulk mode and a custom share URL.
• Clean Links runs as a native app and via Clean Links Web, so both tools have a web option.
• Clean Links can expand shortlinks in Clean Links Web and the native app; Link Cleaner mostly cleans the URL you paste.
• The Clean Links Safari extension can strip supported tracking parameters before pages open and clean every link on a Safari page in one tap or click.
• Pick Link Cleaner for open source and bulk cleaning. Pick Clean Links for a stronger Apple workflow and shortlink expansion.

Where Link Cleaner Has the Edge

Link Cleaner is the better pick if you want an open-source link cleaner you can open anywhere. Its web app, bulk mode, Apple Shortcut, bookmarklet, and custom share URL are handy for one-off cleanups or long URL lists, especially when you do not need redirect-chain expansion.

It is easy to recommend for people who want:

• A simple browser tool with no install required
• A true open-source codebase on GitHub
• A dedicated bulk mode for cleaning many URLs at once
• An Apple Shortcut, bookmarklet, and custom share URL for automation

Link Cleaner is honest about its privacy model. Its README and privacy policy say link cleaning happens locally in the browser, while Plausible usage stats help guide development. If you are fine with that tradeoff and you mainly want a cross-platform browser utility, Link Cleaner is good at what it does.

Where Can You Use Clean Links?

Clean Links is not only a native Apple app. It also ships a Safari extension and Clean Links Web, so there are three ways to clean a link with it:

• The native app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
• The Safari extension for cleaning every link on the current Safari page
• Clean Links Web, which also installs as a PWA

If you use Apple devices, those pieces fit together in a way Link Cleaner does not match. You can clean a link in Safari, use the Share Sheet from other apps, run link cleaning from Apple Shortcuts, or work directly from Clean Links Web when you are on Windows, Android, ChromeOS, or Linux.

Does the Clean Links Browser Tool Unmask Shortlinks?

Yes. Clean Links Web strips tracking parameters, expands bit.ly and other shortlinks, and shows the redirect chain before you share. We ran the Resend shortlink test pictured above: Clean Links resolved the full chain and stripped the attached trackers, while Link Cleaner left the shortened URL intact. That matters because hidden trackers often appear after a redirect, not in the visible URL you start with.

Clean Links Web is explicit about the job it does: strip UTM tags, fbclid, gclid, and affiliate parameters, then follow shortlinks and surface the redirect chain. You can run it in a regular tab or install it as a PWA for one-tap access.

If your real pain is wrappers like t.co, redd.it, bit.ly, or lnkd.in, Clean Links Web covers the same problem that the native app handles in guides like Twitter Link Cleaner and Reddit Link Cleaner.

Link Cleaner takes a different line. Its homepage and README describe a browser app that removes tracking code from the link you provide. Its published cleaning logic unwraps a handful of known wrappers, such as Facebook's u= parameter and Google's url= redirects, but it does not do live redirect resolution for generic shortlink chains. In practice, Link Cleaner is best at cleaning visible junk, while Clean Links is the better pick when the destination is hidden behind redirects.

Why Does the Safari Extension Matter?

A lot, if you use Safari on iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Clean Links can now strip supported tracking parameters during Safari navigation before the page opens. The same extension also cleans every link on the current page in place, so you do not have to copy URLs one by one or route them through a Shortcut just to strip tracking before you share on Apple devices.

This is the feature that sets the Clean Links Apple workflow apart. With the Safari extension, you can clean all outbound links on a page with one tap on iPhone and iPad or one click on Mac. You can also send the current page to your Mac from the extension itself.

For the release details, see Safari Link Cleaner: Clean URLs Before the Page Opens.

That is not the same as installing a web app or running a Shortcut. Link Cleaner offers both of those Apple-friendly routes, and they are useful, but it does not have a dedicated Safari extension that scans the current page and rewrites every link in place.

Apple's own support docs cover both Safari extensions on Mac and turning a site into a web app on iPhone. Clean Links covers both sides of that Apple workflow: a Safari extension inside the browser, plus Clean Links Web outside it.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Who Should Pick Which?

Pick Link Cleaner if you want a free, open-source web tool with bulk cleaning and you are happy cleaning the URL you already have. Pick Clean Links if you want a broader Apple workflow, live shortlink expansion, QR destination preview, and Clean Links Web alongside the native app.

Choose Link Cleaner if:

• Open source matters more than Apple-native integration
• Bulk cleaning many URLs is part of your workflow
• You want a simple browser tool with a Shortcut, bookmarklet, or custom share URL

Choose Clean Links if:

• You use Safari on iPhone, iPad, or Mac and want to clean whole pages instead of one pasted URL
• You want Clean Links Web and the native app to cover the same redirect-chain problem
• You care about unmasking shortlinks before you open or share them
• You want QR destination preview and anti-phishing checks in the same tool

FAQ

Can I Use Clean Links Without Installing the Native App?

Yes. Clean Links ships Clean Links Web and a Safari extension alongside the native app. You can use Clean Links Web in a browser tab or install it as a PWA, then move to the native app when you want QR scanning, Share Sheet actions, or Mac menu bar tools.

Does Link Cleaner Have a Safari Extension?

No. Link Cleaner offers a PWA install flow, an Apple Shortcut, a bookmarklet, and a custom share URL. Those are all useful, but they are not the same as a dedicated Safari extension that can clean every link on the page you are browsing.

Can Both Tools Run Without Sending URLs to a Third-Party Cleaning Server?

Yes, but the privacy posture is not identical. Link Cleaner says cleaning happens locally in the browser and separately notes Plausible usage stats. Clean Links Web keeps no clean-link logs, and the native app follows redirects directly from your device when that is technically required.

Which One Is Better for QR Codes and Phishing Checks?

Clean Links is the better fit there. QR-based phishing (quishing) grew from 0.8% to 12.4% of all phishing attacks between 2021 and 2023, so previewing the real destination before you tap matters. The Clean Links native app scans QR codes, previews the destination before opening it, and cleans redirects after that. Link Cleaner can generate a QR code from a cleaned link, but it does not include camera-based QR scanning or destination preview.

Which One Is Better If I Want Open Source or Bulk Cleaning?

Link Cleaner. That is the clearest place where it has the edge. If your main job is cleaning batches of URLs in a browser and you want a GitHub-hosted codebase you can inspect or fork, Link Cleaner is the better pick.

The Bottom Line

Link Cleaner is worth recommending for people who want an open-source web utility, bulk mode, and quick browser-based cleanup.

Clean Links covers that same web use case via Clean Links Web and adds a Safari extension on top. It has the broader Apple workflow and does the deeper job on shortlinks, redirect chains, QR previews, and hidden trackers.

If you want to start with the web, open Clean Links Web. If you want the full Safari, Share Sheet, QR, and Mac workflow, get Clean Links free. For the Safari-first angle, also read Clean Links vs Safari Advanced Tracking & Fingerprinting Protection.

This post shows how Clean Links complements Safari's protections so you (and the people you share with) land on the exact page you intended-nothing more, nothing less.

Update, May 2026: Clean Links now strips supported tracking parameters during Safari navigation on iPhone, iPad, and Mac before the page opens. Read the announcement: Safari Link Cleaner: Clean URLs Before the Page Opens.

What Safari Advanced Tracking & Fingerprinting Protection Covers (And What It Doesn't)

• ATFP in iOS 26/macOS 26: Safari now obfuscates fingerprintable signals and strips many tracking parameters during navigation, reducing the data sites can use to follow you around the web.
• Safari-only scope: ATFP is a Safari feature. It doesn't apply inside in-app web views (the browsers built into social and messaging apps) or in other browsers. If you open links in a non-Safari browser or inside an app's web view, ATFP isn't there to help.

Translation: ATFP is excellent during Safari browsing. It's less helpful before a page loads (e.g., short links and redirects in the URL you tapped) and outside Safari (e.g., the Instagram or TikTok in-app browser).

Why Link Cleaning Still Matters in 2025

Social Platforms Wrap and Attribute Your Links

When you share a video or article, the URL is often wrapped first so platforms can log and attribute clicks:

• YouTube commonly routes outbound clicks through an internal redirect endpoint; attackers have even abused this mechanism to make malicious links appear trustworthy.
• Instagram/Facebook run external links through Link Shim (e.g., l.instagram.com, l.facebook.com) to scan and track clicks as explained by developers analyzing the system.
• X/Twitter reduces every link to t.co, recording click analytics along the way.

Even if your Safari strips some parameters, their servers still attribute and log via these wrappers - and your recipients may not be using Safari with ATFP at all.

Short Links and Redirect Chains Hide the Final Destination

bit.ly, t.co, lnkd.in (and friends) conceal the real URL until after you click. That's annoying for trust and terrible for privacy, because tracking and phishing often hide behind these redirects.

Clean Links: The "Pre-Click" Link Cleaner for iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Clean Links is a free, on-device utility that focuses entirely on the link itself - following redirects and stripping tracking from the final URL so what you open and share is truly clean.

• Follow every hop, then clean the end URL - Paste or share any link. Clean Links expands shorteners and follows redirect chains in an isolated context (no cookies or identifiers), then removes tracking parameters (UTM, affiliate IDs, click IDs, etc.) from the final URL before you open or copy it. Result: you see and share the real destination, minus the ad-tech baggage.

• System-wide, not Safari-bound - Use the Share Sheet from Safari, Mail, Messages, X/Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok - anywhere that shows the iOS share button. On Mac, run it from the menu bar with Clipboard Monitoring to auto-clean links as you copy them. Works no matter which browser you prefer.

• On-device and private by design - All processing happens locally; no URLs are uploaded. Details available in the Clean Links FAQ.

• Broad coverage, growing fast - Clean Links removes trackers across thousands of domains and thousands of parameters, and the coverage expands with each update as new patterns emerge. Examples and updates on the app site.

Clean Links vs Safari Advanced Tracking & Fingerprinting Protection: what to use when

Safari Extension: Clean Links Before and After Pages Open

Clean Links now adds automatic Safari navigation cleanup on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Supported tracking parameters are stripped before the page opens, using Safari extension rules.

The extension also keeps the manual page cleaner. On Mac, it appears as a toolbar button. Click it, press "Clean Links," and the extension strips tracking parameters from every link on the current page - then shows you the count. On iPhone and iPad, access it from Safari's extensions menu to do the same in one tap.

Both platforms also include Send to Mac directly from the extension — share cleaned links to any of your Macs, even those outside AirDrop range or on a different network.

This is where Clean Links and Safari ATFP fit together. ATFP is a useful automatic baseline inside Safari. Clean Links adds broader parameter coverage, before-page-open cleanup, and active control over links already embedded on a page.

The Practical Recipe

1. Keep ATFP on in iOS 26/macOS 26 - it's the default and it improves privacy for every Safari tab.
2. Use the Clean Links Safari extension for broader automatic Safari cleanup and to clean every link on the page you're browsing - one tap on iPhone, one click on Mac. For links from other apps, use the Clean Links Share Sheet Extension.
3. On Mac, enable Clipboard Monitoring so every copied URL gets cleaned automatically.

Safari ATFP (iOS 26/macOS 26) is a smart, automatic shield inside Safari. Clean Links is your precise, on-device link cleaner that works everywhere: it follows redirects, strips trackers from the end URL, and gives you clean URLs to open and share - across apps, browsers, and platforms.

Together, they cover both sides of the click.

This article explains why QR codes create a blind spot, why "just check the URL" often fails, and practical steps to reduce risk. The final section explains how Clean Links reveals the true destination and removes tracking before a page is opened.

Why QR Codes Create a Blind Spot

QR codes remove typing and context at the same time.

• When a code is scanned, the phone decodes data and shows a URL or action. That first URL can be a pivot point - a short link, a redirector, or a cloud-hosted page that immediately forwards to a different destination.
• Attackers use shorteners and multi-stage redirects to hide the final target. What looks safe at first glance can become a credential-stealing page after one or more redirects.
• QR codes can be placed anywhere: posters, menus, mailers, stickers placed over legitimate codes. That physical placement makes them persuasive and easy to abuse.

Why "Check The URL" Often Fails

Telling someone to "just check the URL" assumes a few things that are not true in practice:

1. The decoded URL may itself be a redirector, so checking it shows only the first step.
2. Many viewers - including default camera apps - display the decoded link but do not follow the full redirect chain or reveal the final destination until a tap occurs.
3. Even if the final domain looks legitimate, tracking parameters and affiliate tokens can be attached. Those parameters can enable profiling or be used as part of fraud flows, making it harder to see where a scan really leads.

In short: a visible URL is useful, but it is not the whole picture.

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The video above demonstrates the critical difference: Apple's Camera app shows only the initial domain, while Clean Links follows all redirects to reveal the true final destination before you tap.

Practical Steps To Reduce Risk

• Treat unsolicited QR codes like unknown links. If something arrives by mail, on a sticker, or in a place where it was not expected, avoid scanning.
• If a business provides a QR code (menu, ticket, payment), verify the code with staff or use the business's official app or website instead.
• Avoid entering credentials on a site reached from a QR code. For important services, type the known official address manually or use a trusted bookmark.
• Prefer scanners that preview the final destination and show the redirect chain rather than only the first decoded link.

How Clean Links Helps

Clean Links is designed to unmask QR codes and short links. It follows the full redirect chain and displays the true final URL before the page opens. While the iPhone camera shows the decoded link, Clean Links reveals redirects and strips tracking parameters so the landing page and the link that opens match expectations. All processing runs locally on the device, with no external logging.

Clean Links can be downloaded from the App Store for free.

Quick Checklist to Protect Yourself

• Pause before tapping. Inspect the scanner's preview and the final domain.
• When in doubt, do not enter passwords or payment details.
• If a link requests urgent payment or credentials, verify the request outside the link.
• Make a safer scanner the default if QR codes are scanned regularly in public places.

Quishing succeeds because it exploits routine behavior. A small amount of caution combined with the right tooling breaks the attack chain. For anyone who scans QR codes even occasionally, using a scanner that previews and cleans links removes much of the risk.